Women played a major role in the Iranian revolution against the Shah. Their reasons for opposing the Shah were similar to other social groups, including economic deprivation, political oppression, and a desire to embrace Islam in the change. The large demonstrations in the city streets were filled with middle-class and working-class women wearing headscarves as a symbol against the Pahlavi bourgeoisie or Western decadence. Many of those who wore headscarves as a symbol of protest did not expect it to one day become mandatory. The effects of the Islamic Republic’s shift on cultural and ideological issues and the definition of women’s roles were significant. However, many factors led to the Islamic Republic’s agenda to weaken women, families, and gender relations. Changes began after the death of the leader of the Iranian Revolution in 1989 and continued during the presidency of Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani in the context of economic liberalization and integration into the global economy. During this time, Iranian civil society developed and public media

The literacy rate and education level of the middle and working classes in Iran had increased significantly during the time of the Shah. The status of urban women, in particular, had improved and the memories of this era during the Shah’s reign led to resistance against the strict Islamization. The modernization of Iran had also undoubtedly affected the expectations and enthusiasm of women in Iranian society, as well as shaping the values and perspectives of many Islamists, whether they were revolutionaries or government officials. Other factors that weakened the policies of the Islamic Republic for women emerged during the long war against Iraq. The mobilization of all Iranian men created job opportunities for educated women in the public sector of Iran, especially in the fields of health, education, and to a lesser extent, in government administration. It should be noted that these jobs were given to women who were deemed ideologically suitable, but it was the very presence of women in the public workforce that showed the will of women and the flexibility of the system. In

As a result of the activities of Islamic/feminist groups, barriers limiting women’s educational and employment progress were removed. In 1992, the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution approved employment policies for women, which still emphasized the importance of traditional gender roles and excluded certain jobs and professions deemed inappropriate from an Islamic perspective, while encouraging women to enter the workforce and consider their interests and needs. Women were encouraged to enter fields such as women’s medicine, pharmacy, midwifery, and laboratory work. In the 1990s, the field of law also became open to women. “Women’s legal advisors” were allowed to attend special civil courts, although women were still not allowed to become judges. About 35% of public sector employees are women, and approximately 35% of them have university degrees. However, in the 2003-2002 academic year, for the first time since the establishment of universities, the number of female students exceeded that of male students.

In the field of politics as well, women were more visible in the mid-1990s. The parliamentary elections from 1995 to 2000 not only led to more women entering parliament, but also saw the emergence of representatives with reformist minds. Women representatives spoke publicly in a language that was more in line with “global feminism” than with Islam. Women like Soheila Jelodarzadeh, Jamileh Kadivar, Fatemeh Rakei, Fatemeh Haqiqatju, and Elaheh Koulai became supporters of reform and women’s rights. They sought to change the patriarchal laws of the family and also to achieve more political freedom. A women’s affairs office was established in all government ministries and agencies, and numerous non-governmental organizations were formed to address women’s issues.

Nowadays, in line with the authoritarian government, the legal framework continues to disadvantage women and minorities such as Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians. The legal status of women in certain areas of civil law that pertain to women and families, or in labor law, or in retributive law that considers women’s worth as half of men’s, is problematic. Iranian law allows for systematic discrimination based on gender and religion. Men have more rights than women, and Muslims have more rights than non-Muslims. Iran has not signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, but it has signed human rights documents such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Convention on the Abolition of Slavery. However, there are many contradictions between Iranian family laws and these human rights documents.

Women’s rights supporters in Iran have been discussing ideas related to women’s rights and the need for legal reforms in women’s media. Shohreh Sharikat, Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh, Faizeh Hashemi, and Azam Taleghani, along with secular feminists, have collaborated on issues such as modernizing family laws, the need for greater political participation of women, supporting the reform movement, integrating women’s concerns into the reform movement, and finding solutions to social problems.

In the end, the oppressive environment has prevented the organization of activists. This is probably one of the reasons why Iranian women’s NGOs have not been able to connect with global feminist networks such as DAWN. “سلام”

[1]. “Hello”

Integrate. Iranian women have no relationship with global civil society organizations working on human rights, children’s rights, or the environment. Iranian feminists outside the country are trying to create a relationship with the outside world by inviting Iranian women to foreign conferences, distributing women’s publications, organizing screenings of feminist-themed films, etc. However, the results of the Berlin conference showed that networking on a global scale must be carefully done.